Glazing bars



Aug 20,1957

Filed Nov. 6, 1952 3 Inventor JACK Fox-'w/u/Am A Home United StatesPatent GLAZING BARS Jack Fox-Williams, London, England, assignor toWilliams & Williams Limited, Chester, England, a British companyApplication November 6, 1952, Serial No. 318,974

Claims. (Cl. 18978) This invention relates to glazing bar assemblies ofthe kind comprising a girder member from which projects laterally on oneor each side an abutment on which an edge portion of a piece of glass orother like sheet material rests when the bar is in use, and a coverstrip one portion of which engages one or more retaining members orparts on the girder member in such a manner that another part of thecover strip is maintained in engagement with and bears on the uppersurface of the glass.

Since such assemblies are usually used to support sheets of glass ratherthan sheets of other material glass will be referred to herein as thematerial to be supported although other suitable sheet materials may insome cases be used.

A large variety of constructions have been proposed for glazing barassemblies of the above kind some using comparatively rigid cover stripsheld in position in various ways and some using resilient cover strips,the various forms meeting to a greater or less degree the mainrequirements of such glazing bars, namely simplicity of construction,ease and low cost of manufacture in quantity, ease of assembly byunskilled labour, sufficient flexibility to allow for differences orvariations in the thickness of the glass used, and ability to hold theglass firmly in position against the abutment without risk of imposingexcessive stresses on the glass and irrespective of normal dimensionalvariations in the glass and the parts of the glazing bar assembly anddifferences due to distortion of parts due to the loads imposed on themwhen assembled and/or variations and movement, due to temperaturechanges or other causes, which may occur in the assembly itself and/ orthe structure to which it is applied.

The object of the present invention is to provide a form of glazing barassembly which meets to a large degree the above requirements taken as awhole.

A glazing bar assembly according to the present invention comprises agirder member having a web, projecting laterally from which is a partconstituting an abutment arranged to support the edge portion of a sheetof glass above or beyond which the web extends and having formed thereona rib or shoulder constituting the upper or outer side of a groove lyingbetween the abutment and the web with the mouth of the groove facing theweb, and a resilient cover strip having a laterally extending upper orouter portion formed so that its outer edge part engages the upper orouter face of a piece of glass supported by the abutment and adownwardly or inwardly projecting portion which is formed to extendbetween the edge of the glass and the web, with its upper or outer edgeor a part intermediate in its width engaging the web while its lower orinner edge part is formed so that when such downwardly or inwardlyextending portion is pressed downwardly or inwardly to force thelaterally extending portion resiliently into close contact with theupper or outer face of the glass, such lower or inner edge part willspring resiliently into the groove under or within the rib orshoulderand be retained in such position thereby and by the reaction between thecover strip and the 2,803,321 Patented Aug. 20, 1957 upper or outer faceof the glass on the one hand and that between the cover strip and theweb on the other, leaving the glass free for limited movement as bycontraction or expansion without affecting the security of the fasteningor the weather tightness of the cover strip.

In one convenient arrangement, the laterally projecting part of thegirder member will be formed with a surface extending upwardly andoutwardly in an inclined direction from the edge of the shoulder or ribaway from the web and towards the glass to form a ramp which will leadthe lower edge portion of the resilient cover strip inwardly over therib or shoulder and into the groove below it during assembly ifnecessary. This inclined surface or ramp thus tends to prevent the loweredge of the resilient cover strip inadvertently passing under the glassinstead of into the groove during assembly, and also to make assemblyeasier and more fool proof.

In any case the downwardly projecting part of the cover strip preferablyhas a cross section such that it makes contact with the part of the websubstantially immediately opposite the edge of the glass in order toprevent the lower edge portion of the cover strip being forced frombeneath the rib or shoulder by pressure which may be applied to thedownwardly projecting part of the cover strip by the edge of the glassif the latter lies or moves into a position close to the web.

One construction of glazing bar assembly according to the invention isshown in the accompanying drawing by way of example, this drawing beinga cross section in a plane at right angles to the length of theassembly.

In the construction shown in the drawing the assembly comprises a girdermember having a web A with a stiffening rib A along its upper edge andtwo similar projections A extending laterally in opposite directionsfrom its lower edge and each including a glass supporting abutment A anda rib or shoulder A forming a groove A the open side of which faces theweb A.

Each of the abutments A is formed to support the edge portion of a pieceof glass B as shownand has associated with it a cover strip C formed ofresilient sheet material and comprising a laterally projecting upperportion C the outer edge part of which bears on the upper face of theadjacent piece of glass B and a downwardly projecting portion C whichextends downwards between the web A and the edge of the piece of glass Band is provided at its lower edge with a bead C which engages the grooveA and is formed by bending the lower edge part of the cover strip firstoutwardly then upwardly and then inwardly as shown. The outer edge partof each cover strip C is bent inwards as shown at C to provide animproved appearance and/ or a stiffer edge to the cover strip and/ or anincreased area of contact between the cover strip and the glass.

As will be seen, the downwardly extending portion C of the cover stripincludes an upper part which lies in close proximity to the web A andextends to a point opposite the edge of the glass B, and a lower partwhich extends from such point downwardly and outwardly away from the webA. With this arrangement should the edge of the glass B be caused tobear on the downwardly extending portion of the cover strip it will notbe able readily to force the bead C out of the groove A During assemblythe downwardly extending portion C of the cover strip is insertedbetween the web A and the edge of the glass B and is forced downwards sothat the cover strip as a whole is flexed before the bead C enters thegroove A the form of the cover strip being such that the reactionbetween it and the glass B on the one hand and between it and the web Aof the girder member on the other hand causes the bead C3 to spring intothe groove A and to be retained therein by such reaction. In thisconnection it will be seen that the fact that, as

shown, the outer edge portion C of the cover strip lies further from theweb A than does the groove A means that the reaction between this edgeportion C and the glass on the one hand and the reaction at right anglesthereto between the upper edge of the cover strip and .the web A on theother hand produce on the bead C .over which the bead C travels duringassembly.

Each laterally extending projection A of the girder member also includesa part A forming a channel for the collection of moisture.

The dimension of the various parts are preferably such that the lateralprojection A including the parts A do not extend appreciably beyond theouter edges C of the cover strips C so that the parts A A do not form ascreen preventing the entry of light through the glass B of larger areathan that provided by the cover strips C.

If desired a groove may be provided in each of the glass supportingabutments A in a manner known per se to receive a soft bedding material,for example fibrous material, rubber or like material, mastic or similarplastic material or the like.

The invention is not restricted to supporting glass panels on slopinggirder members.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A glazing bar and cover strip assembly comprising in combination agirder member having a web and a part projecting laterally from it andconstituting an abutment to engage the inner surface of the edge portionof a piece of sheet material with the web extending to the outeropposite side of said sheet material whenever engaging said abutment, ashoulder also formed on the girder member adjacent to said abutmentforming the outer side of a groove lying between the said abutment andthe web with the mouth of the'groove facing the web, and a resilientcover strip including a laterally extending outer portion formed forengagement by its free edge with the outer face remote from saidabutment of a piece of sheet material resting against the said abutment,said cover including an inner rebent retaining portion and anintermediate portion formed to extend between the edge of such piece ofsheet material and the web with a part thereof displaced from its inneredge in engagement with the web and with its inner edge part formed sothat when such inner portion is pressed inwards between the web and theedge of the piece of sheet material to force the laterally extendingportion resiliently into close contact with the outer face of the pieceof sheet material, said intermediate portion will engage the web andsaid inner edge part of the cover strip will spring resiliently intosaid groove within the shoulder and be retained therein by the reactionbetween the cover strip and the sheet material on the one hand and thecover strip and the web on the other hand.

2. A glazing bar assembly as claimed in claim 1, in which the girdermember is formed with a surface extending outwardly in an inclineddirection from the edge of the said shoulder away from the web andtowards the abutment and constituting a ramp to lead the inner edge partof the resilient cover strip over the shoulder into the groove andthereby prevent said inner edge part inadvertently engaging the innersurface of the sheet material.

3. A glazing bar assembly as claimed in claim 2, in which the part ofthe resilient cover strip which lies opposite the edge of the sheetmaterial and the area of contact between the intermediate portion of theresilient cover strip and the web are so related that, should the edgeof the sheet material apply pressure upon the said intermediate portionsuch pressure cannot dislodge the inner edge part of the resilient coverstrip from the groove.

4. A glazing bar assembly as claimed in claim 3, in which theintermediate portion of the resilient cover strip has a cross-sectionwhich causes the part of the said resilient cover strip which liessubstantially immediately opposite to the edge of the piece of sheetmaterial to lie substantially in contact with the web.

5. A glazing bar assembly as claimed in claim 1, in which the part ofthe resilient strip which lies opposite the edge of the sheet materailand the area of contact between the intermediate portion of theresilient cover strip and the web are so related that the inner edgepart of the strip cannot be pressed completely out of the groove shouldthe edge of the sheet material bear against and exert pressure upon suchintermediate portion.

6. A glazing bar assembly as claimed in claim 1, in

which the inner edge part of the resilient cover strip is 1 turned overto form a rib engaging the outer side of the said groove.

7. A glazing bar assembly as claimed in claim 1, in which the abutmentis provided with a groove in its outer surface to receive beddingmaterial on which the sheet material will therefore rest.

8. A glazing bar assembly as claimed in claim 1, in which the part ofeach intermediate portion of the resiiient cover strip extending betweenits outer edge and a point approximately opposite the edge of the pieceof sheet material lies substantially in contact with the web, while theinner part of the said intermediate portion is inclined to the web andhas its inner edge part bent away from the web, outwardly, and backtowards the web, to form a rib for engagement with the said groove.

9. A glazing bar and cover strips assembly comprising in combination agirder member having a web and parts projecting laterally from oppositesides thereof and constituting abutments to engage the inner sidesurfaces of edge portions of pieces of sheet material, shoulders formedon the girder member and lying one between each side of the web and theadjacent abutment part and on the inner side of the said sheet materialsupports each shoulder providing a groove facingthe web, and a resilientcover strip associated with each abutment member and comprising alaterally extending portion the free edge of which bears on the outerface of a piece of sheet material when supported on said abutment and anintermediate portion extending inwards between the web and the adjacentedge of the piece of sheet material and having its inner edge part bentaway from the web to form a lip which engages the said groove, and byreaction between the resilient cover strip with the web and the sheetmaterial, said lip is maintained in the groove and maintains the freeedge portion of the said laterally extending portion resiliently inengagement with the outer face of the sheet material.

10. A glazing bar assembly as claimed in claim 1 in which the webincludes a part projecting laterally therefrom on the inner side andbeyond the abutment with an outward projection from said laterallyprojecting part, which outward projection is spaced from the web on theinner side of said abutment and forms an outwardly open channelcooperating with the abutment to catch leakage between the resilientcover strip and the sheet material.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS h2,114,791 Williams Apr. 19, 1938 FOREIGN PATENTS I 861,866 France Feb.19, 1941 578,349 Great Britain June 25, 1946 917,151 France Dec. 27,1946

